Hong Kong's deputies to the 14th National People's Congress will be elected by a 19-member presidium chaired by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on December 15.
This was announced yesterday as the SAR's sole delegate to the NPC standing committee, Tam Yiu-chung, said yesterday he is stepping down from the key post due to his age to make way for younger candidates.
Tam said he had decided on his own accord not to run for the post in July and that Beijing respects his wishes, adding that his involvement in the committee's passing of the national security law was "very meaningful."
Former chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is among potential candidates.
On Lam's potential entry, Tam said he would not make any guesses on who would be running.
In an election briefing yesterday, committee secretary-general Yang Zhenwu said any attempt to subvert Beijing's sovereignty or the Basic Law during the election could amount to a national security offense.
A total of 36 deputies will be chosen in the poll. Nominations start tomorrow and end next Wednesday.
Hopefuls must be nominated by at least 15 members of the 1,500-member electorate, compared with the threshold of 10 in 2017.
